What Are the Effects of a Slip and Fall Accident?

A slip and fall accident may seem like a very simple thing. After all, most of us do not suffer from any lasting effects because of a minor thing like this. However, there is some danger to this type of accident. If you landed the wrong way, you could easily end up suffering from more than just a sore bottom.

Usual Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents

The most common cause of slip and fall accidents is wet, slippery floor. This could happen anywhere, at a restaurant, mall, hospital, sidewalks, stairs, etc. When the floor is wet and depending upon the type of shoes you’re wearing, your foot could easily slide out from under you, causing you to fall and land on your bottom.

Effects of Slip and Fall

While many people only suffer from a bruised ego, there are also those who experience severe pain. They’re not able to sit for prolonged periods of time or walk straight for days because of the pain and discomfort, and they also have to miss days at work, causing them to lose income.

These are not the only effects of slip and fall accidents though. Say for example that you landed on your seat and you’re suffering from weak bones, then it could easily cause a fracture of your tail bone. This can result to extreme pain in the coccygeal region of the spine, causing difficulty in sitting and walking. This could also result to lower back pain.

If, for example, you landed on your buttocks and outstretched hand, then it could also cause a stress fracture in the upper extremities. Again, this will result to pain in the affected areas. If the fracture is severe, it could impingement of the nerves as well as blood vessels, complicating the injuries further.

Injuries to the head and neck are also not uncommon. When you fall, your head could easily hit the hard floor if you landed the wrong way, or your neck could hit a hard surface. Injuries such as these can lead to concussion, brain injury as well as spinal cord injury. These are not minor injuries since it’s affected the brain and spinal cord.

Simple slip and fall accidents can also result to injuries of the back musculature such as the back muscles, ligaments, and tendons. It could cause muscle strain and ligament sprain, and it could also cause fracture of the vertebras. If these happen, there is the risk for spinal cord injury, slipped disk, nerve impingement, etc.

What to Do

If your injuries are more than just a bruised ego and a sore bottom, you need to go to the hospital immediately. You need to get some x-rays done on the injured areas to rule out fractures and other injuries, and you will also need some medicines for the pain as well as discomfort. If there are large cuts and wounds, you have to have them treated to avoid infection.

If the accident happened in a place other than your own property, you should know that you have the right to seek legal compensation against the property owners. With the help of a lawyer, you can file a personal injury case against the owners.

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Jennifer Dahlhauser writes for a Tri-Cities personal injury attorney. Slip and fall accidents can result to major injuries. If this happens, you need to get a lawyer to help you file a personal injury complaint.